Sealing-strip machine.



1. BERG. SEALING STRIP MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2 |912.

1 1 87,0'30. Patented June 13, 1916.

.arnnr cierren.

JOHN BERG, k0]? CHICAGO, ILLINOIS', ASSIGNOR TO METAL SPECIALTIES MANUFAC- TURING'COMPANY, OF `CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

sEALInG-s'rnrr MACHINE.

the sealing strip.

My primary object is to provide a machine of simple construction and improved operation. v

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in whichy Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of armachine embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional view of the same; Fig. 3, a broken front view of the removable coverv employed, showing yit equipped at its front portion with resilient fingers, with a strip-severing knife, and with a strip-positioning device located :beneath said knife; and Fig. 4, a broken transverse vertical section taken, as indicated, at line fi of Fig. 1. Y

In the preferred embodiment of my inven-v tion the machine comprises a roll-holder A; a moistening device B; strip-severing device C; and a"paperpositioning device E.

The base-portion of the roll-holder and the well 2 of the moistening device are preferably cast integrally with each other. In the well 2 lis journaled a roll 3. Therollholder A is preferablyin the form of a casing, which has sides 1l and a back 5 securely mountedon the case 1. The upper edge of the back 5 isdesignated 6;"the side-plates Ll rise above the back 6 and have their upper ends curved, or approximately semi-circular, as indicated at 7. The sides l and back 5 may be conveniently formed, integrally with each other, of sheet metal; The curved cov-er 8, which is preferably formed of resilient sheet metal, forms a casing-top, the lateral edges ofthe member 8 being beaded, as indicated at 9, to bear upon the curved upper edges of the side plates l of the casing.y At its rear end the cover 8 is providedwith an outwardly struck centrally disposed tongue or locking member 10 adapted to pass Specification `of Letters Patent.

through aloop 11 disposed at the outer side' of the upper portion of the back-plate 5.

Patented June 13, 1916.'

Application filed February 12,1912. Serial No. 677,208. i

The loop 11 may be formed by severing the metal partially and striking it outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1. The tongue 10 is provided near its extremity with a catch 12 adaptedto lockingly engage the web of the loop 1'1. The cover 8 isequipped centrally at its front end with an inwardly and up-k wardly curved hook 13 which engages a cross-bar 14 which connects the front portionsv of the side-members `of -the casing.

Above the rod 14 and on the outer surface of the front portion of the cover 8 is secured the strip-severing device C. This comprises f a curved s heetemetal member having its upperrportion iiXedly secured to the cover8, as by means of rivets 15. The member C projects in front of the casing, and has a severing or tearing edge 16 which is presented downwardly and preferably somewhat forwardly. The hook 13 is preferably formed by severing a portion of the metal ofthe cover on three sides and curving the severed portion inwardly, as will be readily under` stood Vfrom Figs. 1 and?.v v i r1`he paper positioning device E is carried by the cover 8,V beingl disposed beneath the severing-device C, and preferably comprises a sheet-metal member which normally projects substantially horizontally in front of the portion of the cover 8 to which it is pivotally connected. The pivotal connection between the member E andl the cover is effected by means of lugs 17 carried by the corners of the member E, said lugs passing freely through perforations 1.8 inthe cover and being bent toward each other. Thus, the lugs 17 are adapted to afford stops which limit the downward swing ofthe member E. rThe connections aresuch, however, "as to permit the member E to swing upwardly freely whenthe gummedv stripv 19 'is drawn ythe bottom-wall curves upwardly, as indicated at 23 and 211, thus providing a roundedsurface or concavity, in which the bottom is joined tothe Lipper end of'a rear flange 26 which rises from the base-rim 22. LThe rearvplate y of the casing embraces the liange 26, and the side-plates 4 embrace the lateral edges of the curved bottom, the base- Y ,y rim 22 being suitably recessed or journaled to receive the lower edges oi said rear plate l5 and vsaid side-plates. The curved walls of the bottom areprovided with suitably spaced slots 27 adapted to receive the lower ends of adjustable and removable partitions or plates 28.V The plates 28 may be tin plates and as Vmany of saidV plates may be employed as may be desired, yto divide the chamber A into as many compartments as may be neces'- sary t'ofaccommodate the number of rolls or' sealing-strips to be placed in the machine. Obviously, the width of 'the compartments -may be regulated to suit the widths of roll used, asmany of the Ladjustable partitions being employedas may be necessary, and said partitions positioned according to requirements. Forconvenience of illustration, only-one roll 20 has been shown in the machine.

. It is desirable to apply -friction to the sealing-strips, both for the purpose of prevent- ,ingu the rolls from unwinding unduly and for the purpose of preventing movement of the sealing-strip kduring the severing operation. The preferred manner of making provision for this purpose'is to equip the lower front end of the cover 8 with resilient 1ingers or springs 29 which are separated by `*slots 80. The fingers 29 are adapted to bear y on the inner surface of the front portion 24 of theicurved bottom wall of the casing, the 'extremities of the lingers being curved upwardly,"0r away fromv the wall 24,'as indicated at 3l. 'The sealing-strips are adapted Vtopass between theresilient fingers 29 and fthe wall 24. The'sp'acing of the slots 30 coro .through 'the slots 30. Y l curvature of the walls'23 and 24, itwill be k respondswith the spacing of the slots 27 in the curved bottom wallsof the casing, so that the partition plates 28 will pass freely By reason of the understood that-fample bearing surface is `prvidedto maintain the partition plates 28 in upright position, so that the rolls will be keptseparated from each other and main- 't tainedV in upright positiongand this will be true regardless ofthe number of rolls employed.

In the use of the improved device, the

rolls are inserted in the machine before the cover 8'is applied, the end-portions of the sealingstrips being drawn out over the throat-portion 25. The cover is then applied entered in the loop 11, where the catch l2 engages the loop and securely holds the cover in place. ln this operation, the cover is placed under licxure, so that the catch l2 will be maintained in engagement with the loop. It is observed that the loop affords suflicient space to permit the tongue l0 to be pressed inwardly to disengage the catch when it is desired to ei'liect removal of the cover. v e

The paper-positioning device E normally holds the projecting end of the sealing-strips away from the severing device 16, the strips being normally bent over the throat-portion 25, as shown in Fig, l. The operator grasps the end-portion of the strip, draws the strip Vover the roll` 3, which is partially immersed in water, until a sufficient length of the strip has been moistened, then swings the strip upwardly and severs itk on the device 1G. ln this operation, the device E is swung upwardly; and after the severing operation the device E swings doiinwardly by gravity till its movement is limit-A ed by the stops 17.` rlhis throws the eX` tremity of the sealing strip away from the severing edge of the device land causes the end-portion of the strip to project beyond the device E, where it can be readily grasped in the neXt operation. The devices C and E are so positioned with relation to the moistening roll 3 that when the strip is severed, the severing will be eifectedrjust in the rear of the moistened portion of the strip, so that a dry portion of the strip will be presented for the next operation. rlhus,

it will be unnecessary for the operator to touch the moistened portion of the mucilage or adhesive. Itis understood, of course, that gummed strips of paper or other flexible material are now quite commonly employed for sealing packages; and the improved machine is well adapted to the purpose of handling such sealing-strips, enabling the work of applying the sealingstrips to packages to be rapidly performed in a cleanlyV manner. Moreover, the improved machine can be constructed at a very moderate cost, is readily manipulated and possesses the many points of advantage indicated above.

It may be added that the machine is Y likewise adapted to handle strips of gummed labels, internal revenue stamps, etc. It is noteworthy that each strip of gummed tape will have one or more resilient fingers bearing on it, according to the width of the tape;

vand thethiekness of one strip will in no wise affect the tension on another strip. Hence, different thicknesses of `tape may be used, without affecting the operation.

Y The foregoing detailed description. has been given for clearness of understanding only and no undue limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

Vhat I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A machine ofthe character set forth, comprising a roll-holder having at its front portion a concave bottom-wall, a well joined to said bottom-wall, and affording a throatportion over which the sealing-strip may be drawn, a moistening roll mounted in said well, a severing device disposed above said well, and a spring finger conforming to andk bearing on the bottom-wall in the rear of said throat-portion.

2. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a roll-holder having a curved bottom-wall, a well in front thereof with which said bottom-wall forms a junction affording a throat-portion, a cover member equipped with a resilient linger bearing on said curved bottom wall, and a severing device disposed above said well.

3. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a casing having at its front por-v tion a bottom-wall, a well in front thereof forming a junction with said wall and affording a throat portion over which a sealing strip may pass, a cover member having a series of resilient fingers bearing on said bottom wall, a Vsevering device carried by said cover-member and disposed above said throat-portion, and a strip-positioning member movably mounted on said 'cover-member and disposed between said severing-device and said throat-portion.

4. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a roll-holding receptacle, a moistening device, and a removable cover for said receptacle equipped at its front por-` tion with a severing-device and equipped below said severing device with an independent, movably mounted forwardly-projecting strip-positioning member.

5. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a roll-receptacle having a crossmember at its front portion, said receptacle having a bottom-wall at its front portion, a moistening device in front thereof, a cover equipped at its front portion with a hook engaging said cross-member and equipped below said hook with a resilient member engaging said bottom wall, a strip-severing device, and means for securing the rear portion of the cover to the receptacle.

6. A machine of the character set forth,

edges of said side-walls and equipped at its Y rear end with a catch-device, disengageably connected with the rear wall of said receptacle, and a severing-device carried by the front portion of said cover-member.

7. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a roll-receptacle having a rear wall and side walls projecting above the rear wall and having curved upper edges, a cross-member joining the front portion of said side walls, said receptacle having a curved bottom wall below said cross-member, a well in front of said curved bottomwall and forming a junction therewith affording a throat-portion, and a resilient cover-member having ahook engaging said cross-member and equipped below said hook with resilient fingers engaging said curved bottom-wall, said cover-member bearing upon the upper edges of said side-walls, and equipped at its rear end with a catch-device, disengageably connected with the rear wall of said receptacle, and strip-severing and'strip-positioning devices mounted on' the front portion of said cover-member.

8. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a roll-receptacle equipped at its front portion with a cross-member, a moistening device in lfront thereof, a curved i cover-member equipped atits front portion with a hook engaging said cross-member, a

loop carried by the rear wall of the receptacle, and a catch-equipped tongue carried by the rear portion of said cover-member and engaging said loop.

9. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a receptacle having curved bottom walls provided with a series of slots, a moistening device disposed in front thereof, a cover-member equipped with a series of resilient fingers separated by spaces corresponding with said slots, partition members extending through said slots, and a severing device mounted on said covermember above said moistening device.

JOHN BERG. In presence of Y L. HEISLER, R. W. RAYMOND.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

